


Watch the Queen Conquer

by iam93percentstardust



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Betrayal, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-09 09:36:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11101827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iam93percentstardust/pseuds/iam93percentstardust
Summary: They didn’t tell anyone how elections ran on Naboo. Not the real election anyway. Every four years, two young men or women were put forth to be elected as monarch of Naboo. Or so the people thought. The truth was a much more lengthy, cutthroat process.





	1. The Candidate

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the canon story of Padmé's election is different and yes, her relationship with Palo Jemabie is different than how I put it down here but it's just my take.

They didn’t tell anyone how elections ran on Naboo. Not the real election anyway. Every four years, two young men or women were put forth to be elected as monarch of Naboo. Or so the people thought. The truth was a much more lengthy, cutthroat process.

A year and a half before the election, any hopeful candidates would either be nominated or submit their name to the current Senator, who would consider all the names. A year before the election, thirteen hopefuls were taken to a secret location, where they were given a series of tests to determine their aptitude, intelligence, and diplomacy. Each month, a candidate was rejected until there were only two left. Those two were presented to the public for the election.

Padmé Naberrie never wanted to be queen. Princess of Theed was more than enough for her. Somehow, though, her name had been submitted to Senator Palpatine. Six months later, a messenger was telling her that she needed to accompany him immediately for the selection process.

“Will I be allowed to continue my duties as Princess during the process?” Padmé asked evenly, not letting her nervousness show.

“No ma’am,” the messenger replied.

Padmé had prepared for this. She had thought that this might occur. She turned to her assistant and said, “Continue my work in my absence. You have my authority to act as I would.” The messenger smiled slightly and made a note on a small pad, an act that neither Padmé nor her assistant noticed. Padmé turned back to the messenger. “Let us go then.”

The villa at which the candidates were being held was lovely. Like other dwellings on Naboo, the architects had clearly had aesthetics in mind as well as practicality. The villa sat beside a small lake in the countryside. It was all free space and open air. Padmé felt as though she could live quite happily here.

She settled in to her room well enough and began unpacking, musing on the day’s events. She’d been given a brief rundown of how the next year would go when her name had been submitted but she’d gotten full details in the cruiser that morning. Each reveal left her more and more nervous. After all, Padmé had not submitted her name to the senator. Someone else had. This was not her first choice.

She had been flattered to her that someone thought her intelligent enough to run a country but she was still nervous. At only thirteen, there was still so much that she didn’t yet know. To hear that she’d been selected was even more nervewracking. What if she was too young? Padmé knew that she wasn’t to youngest to even run, wouldn’t even be the youngest to rule, but thirteen was still awfully young.

Even so, she put on a brave face when she went down for dinner. Padmé smiled and greeted her new housemates graciously even though she felt terrified. Two had not yet arrived. However, if the others were anything to judge by, they would be just as intelligent and cunning as Padmé herself was.

Over the next week, Padmé made a point of learning all of her competitors’ names and personality traits. She told herself that it was because she wanted to be friends with them. She knew, however, that it was also good politics to know them.

There was another Padmé, a young woman of about 20 or so. She was rather pretty and exceedingly kind--perhaps a bit too kind. Even though the Naboo valued aesthetics, intelligence, and kindness, there were others in the galaxy that did not. The queen or king had to be able to negotiate and deal with other less-civilized cultures.

Then there was Sio, an incredibly intelligent little boy. Personally, Padmé thought that, even though he was smart, Sio was too young to rule. Shouldn’t he have the chance to be a child?

The two who’d been missing that first night were Sabé and Eirtaé, twins. Both were intelligent in their own rights. However, both were also rather spacey. It wasn’t a bad trait but not necessarily a great one for a queen.

Next, there were Ars, Darred, and Vider. They had all been friends growing up and, as such, were rather similar. Padmé didn’t dismiss them though. All three were cunning and, in her mind at least, ruthlessly willing to do anything for the crown.

Padmé became fast friends with a girl of her own age named Jobal. After all, Jobal was her mother’s name and Padmé felt a kinship with the other girl. Padmé quickly decided that, if anyone else had to be queen, then she most certainly wanted it to be Jobal, who she felt would be the most capable.

Then there was Ellé. Ellé, despite being both beautiful and intelligent, scared Padmé. There was a coldness to her that she didn’t like. She couldn’t’ describe it other than to say that there was something “off” about Ellé.

Padmé wasn’t entirely sure how Lufta had gotten in. The poor girl didn’t really belong. At barely ten years, Lufta simply didn’t have the experience or intelligence to fit in with the others. Unlike Sio, who used his intelligence to blend with the older candidates, Lufta only emphasized her differences by her youth.

Maris was the oldest of the group at 72 years. He was certainly proud of his age and reminded them all of his experiences. As Padmé thought, though, there was a reason why most Naboo rulers were barely older than children.

Lastly, there was Palo. He emerged as the natural leader of the group. Padmé didn’t envy him his position. They were a diverse group who all wanted the same prize. Palo would have his hands full and would likely grow to be overwhelmed by the task he had set himself. Even so, she made the note to look out for him.

The first moth passed without much event. The promised tests never seemed to appear but Padmé remained on her best behavior. Just because she didn’t see a test taking place did not mean that there wasn’t one occurring. Over the month, some alliances formed among the candidates and others were broken. Only Padmé, Jobal, and Palo were able to make and stay friends with everyone.

At the end of the month, the candidates were gathered to discover who would be leaving and who would stay. The announcer was a courtesy droid, rather than a citizen, so that it could be rebuilt should a candidate become violent.

It said, in its monotone voice, “As future ruler, you may not know why you have made an impression on someone, negative or positive. As such, the judges have chosen not to inform you of the nature of this first test, only that one of you has failed. I will call twelve names. These candidates will return to their rooms and continue with the tests.” The droid paused and Padmé felt that it was staring at her as it continued, “Good luck.”

Padmé refused to admit that she was nervous, reminding herself that she hadn’t even wanted to be submitted in the first place. Still, she felt a sense of relief when her name was among the first called, meaning that she would stay on.

She found out the next morning that one of the twins, Sabé, had gone home.


	2. The Bully

Eirtaé became subdued and moody with the loss of her twin. She rarely spoke and only when she wanted something from someone. It was common to see her lash out at someone for no reason at all. The youngest candidates, Sio and Lufta, were the ones most likely to bear the brunt of her anger.

At first, Padmé thought that someone like Palo would step in and protect the two children. But a change had come over the others. Sabé’s elimination had driven home the fact that they were all after the same thing. Out of the thirteen, only two would go to the election and only one would win the coveted crown. If the two children bowed out, then the others were that much closer to winning.

Padmé held the opinion that both children were too young to run. Even so, she felt that no one deserved to be bullied the way Sio and Lufta were. After a week had passed, she decided to mention her fears to Jobal.

“It is concerning,” Jobal agreed. “You’re not the only one who’s worried but what are we to do? Palo tried to talk reason into her. Eirtaé just told him to stick it up--well, you know.”

“Palo tried?” Padmé asked, startled. “When?”

“The first time she made Lufta cry. He did it in private so that she wouldn’t be embarrassed.” Jobal shrugged. “Maybe she needs to be embarrassed.”

Privately, Padmé disagreed. From what she’d seen of Palo, he was aloof and distant. Eirtaé, having just seen her sister eliminated from the election, needed comforting, not a lecture.

And so, after another tantrum, Padmé snuck to Eirtaé’s room that night. The other girl was still awake and looked unsurprised to see Padmé. She even smiled as a greeting, an emotion that clashed with her actions during the day.

“I know it must have been hard seeing your sister lose in the first month,” she started. “So I just wanted to know if you wanted to talk about it.”

Eirtaé seemed taken back. “I thought you were here to yell at me,” she admitted after a long pause. She offered up another smile, sheepish this time. “Come join me.”

After Padmé had seated herself, Eirtaé continued, “I don’t want to be queen. Sabé did though. And our mother--you know she ran for the position herself once--wanted two chances at having a queen for a daughter so she submitted both of us. I thought that if I acted like a lunatic that first month, they’d send me home. But Sabé picked up on it, decided that it was clearly a brilliant strategy to make you underestimate me, and started copying me. But she got sent home, not me. So, maybe now, if I act awful, they’ll send me home and then it won’t matter.”

Padmé frowned. “But what about Sio and Lufta? You’re hurting them to help yourself. They’re only children.”

Eirtaé shrugged. “They’re strong enough to be here, aren’t they? They’ll be fine.” She caught the mutinous look on Padmé’s face. “I won’t give up my plan to leave this façade of an election for the sake of two children.”

“Then you’ll understand,” Padmé said quietly, “when I defend them when they cannot.” She stood and left.

The next morning, she took Palo aside and informed him of what she’d learned. “I want to be able to help Sio and Lufta but the others won’t listen to me the way they will to you.”

“And what is your plan?” Palo asked curiously.

“Never leave the two alone. It won’t stop Eirtaé from tormenting them but there will be someone to stand up for them. It will give them hope and prove to Eirtaé that we won’t stand for her behavior, no matter her reasons.”

“What about Padmé Lago?” he countered. “She’s too meek to stand up to anyone.”

Padmé had already thought of this. “She won’t have to. Padmé will visit Eirtaé at her most vulnerable--nighttime--and talk to her in the hopes of convincing her to change. I will be there with her to offer support. If anyone can convince Eirtaé to back down, it’ll be Padmé.”

“And if she refuses to back down?”

“Then she’ll get her wish. A good ruler knows that they cannot have everything their way and that they must compromise. Eirtaé seems incapable of grasping either concept.”

Palo nodded. “You’ve thought of everything. I’ll notify the others of the changes at dinner.”

The weeks passed. Eirtaé continued her terrorization on the younger candidates but found that, through the shield presented by the others, her insults touched no one. Now that she no longer worried about the children, Padmé found herself free to investigating other dealings in the house, mainly the nature of the first test. Sabé had done something wrong, but what?

Eirtaé wasn’t the only one being watched. After their conversation, Palo kept a closer eye on Padmé. He had dismissed her at first as a girl with extraordinary beauty but too optimistic and not intelligent enough to make a difference. He saw now that he was wrong. A brain lurked beneath those curls and she was far more of a realist than he’d originally thought. If he needed to beat anyone, it was Padmé Naberrie.

At the end of the month, it was announced that the second test had been about keeping the peace between fellow candidates. It came as no surprise when Eirtaé was dismissed.


	3. The Savior

With Eirtaé gone, life in the house grew peaceful and calm once more. Lufta became happy again, Padmé continued her search for the nature of the first test, and Palo kept a close eye on Padmé. He found, though, that the young woman was an excellent conversationalist and a wonderful confidante.

As the third month passed, the two candidates found themselves growing closer. Every once in a while, Palo thought to himself that it was a shame that Padmé needed to be eliminated from the election. Of course, he didn’t know that Padmé was thinking the same thing about him.

Yes, even though Padmé still had her doubts about her readiness to serve as queen, she realized that she was far more prepared than she’d originally thought. More than that, she thought maybe that, even if she didn’t win the election, she could at least offer advice to the person who did. In the meantime, she would do the best that she could do.

The month seemed to fly by. Palo and Padmé grew closer, just as Padmé’s friendship with Jobal grew deeper. In addition, she grew more confident in her dealings with her other housemates. She learned about their hopes for Naboo and what they wanted to do should they fail to win the election. Ars, Darred, and Vider wanted to become pilots. Jobal was interested in music. Lufta wanted to continue in her schooling. Palo was considering art.

This, more than anything, surprised Padmé about her companions. She had never considered a field other than politics. Indeed, she wasn’t sure that she even knew how to do anything else.

The morning before Judgment Day, as the candidates called it, dawned grey and cloudy. Everyone acted in poor spirits and most of the candidates retreated to their rooms, rather than spending any more time around the others.

As the day dragged on, Padmé hid in her own room to read a book. There was just no point, she thought, in trying to force friendly interactions when even she didn’t feel so friendly. Besides, they were bound to get tired of each other eventually. There were only so many times that one could have the same conversations with the same people.

It was nearly evening when Padmé smelled it. A woody scent that didn’t belong. Sharp and acrid. It took her less than a minute to realize what it was.

Fire!

In an instant, she was out of her chair and dashing into the smoke-filled hallway. For a moment, Padmé paused to wonder if she’d left anything of importance in her room. Then she decided that it could all be replaced. She ran through the girls’ wing, shouting, “Fire!”

Jobal joined her first, coughing. Padmé grabbed her arm. “Stick with me. I don’t want to lose you in here.” She continued banging on doors until she had all three other girls in the hallway with her.

“Come on,” Padmé ordered. “We need to check on the boys.”

Ellé shook her hand out of Padmé’s. “Why?”

Padmé stared at her. “Ellé, we don’t have time for this.”

“Exactly. The boys can get out of this themselves.” She gathered up Lufta. “If you make it out, we’ll be on the front lawn.” She turned and took off, Padmé Lago following.

Jobal glanced at the stunned Padmé and took her hand. “We don’t have much time.” She started leading Padmé in the opposite direction, deeper into the house and away from Ellé. A moment later, the two broke into a run.

They met Palo at the entrance to the boys’ wing. “I was just coming to check on you,” Palo said breathlessly. He glanced behind the two girls. “Where are the others?”

“They’re already outside,” Padmé replied. She caught sight of a struggling Sio being held back by Ars and gently took him away.

Palo nodded. “Then let’s go.” As the group took off towards the front, they could hear the wing behind them collapsing. They burst through the front doors and out onto the open lawn.

Padmé set Sio down and started to count the others. All three of the other girls had made it out. Ellé was commanding the servants into a bucket line--not that it would help much. Padmé Lago was comforting Lufta. Sio made a break for the house, screaming about his toys. Darred grabbed him and pulled him away. Padmé turned back to Palo.

“We’re missing six servants,” she said quietly.

Palo pointed at the conflagration that had been their home. “You want to go back in there? Padmé, they’re lost. There’s nothing we can do.”

She shook her head stubbornly. “We have to try.”

Palo stared at her for a moment. Then he sighed and dug a comm link out of his pocket. “We’ll split up. You’ll take the East Wing. I’ll take the West. If you can’t get everyone, get yourself out. I want you eliminated, not dead.” Padmé smiled, touched his cheek gently, and took the comm link. Together, they headed back into the burning house.

Even knowing that it would be faster to tell each person she encountered where the exit was, she still escorted each servant personally to the front before telling Palo her tally. It seemed that only one servant had been in the West Wing so he was coming to join her. They worked quickly and efficiently, dodging falling support beams and flames to track down the last few people.

They were helping the last person out when the smoke finally got to Padmé. The last thing she heard was Palo yelling, “Padmé!” before she collapsed.

She came to on the front lawn. A med-droid was monitoring her vitals. Palo sat nearby. “Thank you,” she whispered, knowing that he’d gotten her out.

Palo looked surprised. “What for?”

“You could have left me--” She paused. It was too hard to admit that she could have died. “--there,” she finished.

He snorted softly. “You’re too pretty to leave behind.” Padmé blushed.

After the fire, it seemed impossible that the selection of the candidates would continue but it did. As it turned out, the test had been about keeping calm in a crisis. Padmé was shocked that the fire had been set deliberately but she was assured that there had been complete control of the situation and that no one, either servant or candidate, would have died that night.

She, Palo, and Ellé were commended for their quick thinking, selflessness, and command of the situation. Of course, several of the candidates had broken down and lost their cool during the fire. However, no one had reacted as badly as Sio, who had demanded to be taken back into the burning building so he could save his toys and had attempted to tear apart any droid that held him back. His breakdown had insured his elimination. Sio left that night.


	4. The Captain

Their home had been razed. A suitable replacement was found and the candidates were moved to a new location. Since there were few candidates, the house was considerably smaller. Even so, Padmé found that she loved the new location.

Moving into the fourth month, the group found that the first part of their training had officially begun. Surprisingly, they weren’t learning diplomacy or ceremony but combat.

Captain Typho of His Majesty’s Guards arrived the day after the candidates did. Padmé thought him rather handsome but she also recognized that he was there to do a job.

“Although we are a peaceful people, there may come a time when you will need combat skills. A proficiency in war takes time, we will begin your training now and it will continue until such a time as you are no longer a candidate,” Typho explained that first day. “We will begin with hand-to-hand combat and move onto blasters in three months.”

Padmé quickly realized that she had a problem. Typho taught the class as though he were teaching the average Naboo. But the average Naboo was a good six inches taller than her. Many of the techniques Typho taught, she couldn’t use.

Her consolation was that she wasn’t the only one having problems. Little Lufta was also too short to execute most of the moves as well. Kindhearted Padmé Lago had not problems with reaching her opponents but had every problem with actually fighting them. She was of the opinion that any conflict could be solved with words. For the most part, Padmé agreed with her but she also knew that some conflicts were too heated to be solved with diplomacy--the demands of the Trade Federation came to mind.

Two weeks passed before Padmé admitted to herself that this wasn’t working. She would never be able to defeat anyone the way Typho was teaching. And so, during quiet hours, she made her way to the captain’s room and rapped on the door.

He didn’t look surprised to see her. “I wondered when you’d stop by,” he commented. “Here to ask for tips?”

Padmé nodded. “I’m too short to use the techniques you’re teaching. I thought I could figure something out but I can’t.” She swallowed hard. Admitting her personal failures was more difficult than she’d thought. “I know I don’t have the right to ask this but would you be willing to give me extra lessons?”

Typho seemed to glare down at her but then he broke into a smile. “For a queenling able to humble herself, absolutely.”

After lessons the next day, Padmé hung back. Surprisingly, Typho started her off with a workout regime, explaining that she needed to be stronger and faster if she wished to beat anyone. Although tired, she left the lesson feeling more optimistic than she had a few hours earlier.

Even with the lessons though, Padmé didn’t think that she was really improving that much but Typho noticed that, even though she still couldn’t beat anyone, it took longer and longer to bring her down. Padmé Lago, on the other hand, simply refused to fight anyone and lost her battles in seconds. And then there was Lufta. Padmé asked Typho if she could invite Lufta to join her lessons as Lufta had the same problems that she did. He had agreed but the younger girl refused the offer. She was determined to get it the way Typho taught in group class.

Judgment Day arrived. Nervous, Padmé took her seat in between Palo and Jobal. Due to her private lessons, she hadn’t seen much of either of them in the last month. It struck her how much she missed them.

In the past rounds, Padmé’s name had been among the first called, telling her that she had advanced. But, when the droid announced that they had been judged on their combat ability, Padmé knew that she would be lucky to make it through at all.

As she suspected, Ars, Darred, and Vider were the first to move on. Then it was Palo and Ellé, who left together. Then Jobal was called. She cast a worried glance at Padmé as she left. Maris was next, leaving Padmé Lago, Lufta, and Padmé.

The droid glanced them over and then back at the paper. It seemed to be attempting to figure something out. Then, it said, “Padmé Naberrie, you may return to your room.” Padmé almost cried, she was so relieved. She started back towards her room but then decided that wait outside for the other advancing candidate.

Lufta joined her a minute later. “She’s angry,” she confided. “She thinks that this test wasn’t fair because she’s a pacifist.”

Padmé laughed softly. “Why would a pacifist ever want to rule?”


	5. The Servant

Although Padmé hadn’t noticed it at first, the new house had brought with it new servants. She had been too busy with her combat practice to notice who was making the beds.

It wasn’t until her second month in the new house that Padmé noticed that the droids weren’t the only people serving her and the other candidates. She didn’t recognize their race at first but it only took her a few days in the library to figure it out.

They were Gungans. Traditionally water dwellers, the Gungans were tall, gangly, and not particularly graceful. They had a peculiar way of talking that added extra syllables to their words and over-accentuated their vowels. The Gungans were over eager to please, causing them to hover over the candidates. Many of the candidates were irritated by their Gungan servers.

Padmé found them endearing rather than irritating. She was alone in this way of thinking but, as none of them were outright rude to the Gungans, Padmé didn’t see it her business to correct their thinking.

Combat lessons continued. Padmé spent most of her free time in extra lessons with Typho, slowly improving her skills. What little free time she had left, she spent with Jobal and Palo. They were as intrigued by Sabé’s elimination as she was so they helped her search for the nature of the first month’s test. Palo had overheard a few of the servants talking about it.

“They said that it was determined the first night you got here,” he told the other two.

Padmé was confused. “Before we even arrived at the house? What would we have done to be eliminated?”

Neither Palo nor Jobal had an answer for her.

A week before Judgment Day, Maris snapped. He was already rather elitist and snobbish. Padmé’s kindness and tolerance towards the Gungans had exacerbated his xenophobic tendencies.

The candidates had gathered for a lively discussion of politics after dinner, as they often did. Padmé mentioned that she thought Naboo-Gungan relations were worth cultivating by the next ruler. It wasn’t a very popular opinion but none were more vehemently opposed to it than Maris.

“Why would you ever want relations with them?” he exploded. “They’re useless, they’re stupid, and they have no sense of grace!”

One of the Gungan servers glared at him, Padmé noticed. “Just because you’re not aware of a use for them doesn’t meant that there isn’t one,” she said diplomatically, smiling at the servers. One of them went to refill her drink. “Thank you.”

Maris sneered. “Please. They’re only good for servants.” Padmé’s server tripped, spilling her pitcher. He laughed rudely. “And even then, they’re not very good at that.”

Padmé moved to assist the Gungans with cleaning, glaring at Maris. “No one is good for only servant work. No one deserves to be lowered to ‘just’ a servant,” she replied, trying to keep an even tone. “Their rumored fortress seems ingenious to me.” Her hand brushed against something warm and she looked over to see Palo helping her and the Gungans clean. She gave him a warm smile.

“If you love them so much, then what’s that one’s name?” Maris retorted.

Padmé froze. She didn’t actually know any of their names, a failing of hers she realized. She turned to the Gungan in question and bowed her head respectfully. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I have tried to defend you when I know that you can defend yourself but I haven’t even bothered to learn your name.”

There was a gleam of something that could have been respect in the Gungan’s eyes. “Te-Te,” she replied.

Maris snorted. Clearly his hatred for the Gungans had not lessened. It would end up as his downfall. Judgment Day revealed the test for the month had been about cultivating relations with the Gungans servants. Maris was the obvious choice to be eliminated and he was.


	6. The Spy

The election moved into its sixth month and the candidates found that their mornings were taken up with meetings. This, they were told, was to help them prepare for the bureaucracy of the Naboo government. The king or queen made all final decisions but they were aided by the Council and would need to know how to behave with its members. It went unspoken that this would be the test for the month.

Surprisingly, Padmé found that she enjoyed the meetings for the most part. Growing up, she had learned decorum and patience from her parents. As such, she could keep her mind focused on the meeting even when the topic was dull and the meeting itself tedious.

She was not alone in this skill. Palo, as an artist, knew patience and focus well and, while he could get bored, he never lost track of the agenda. Ellé, cold and determined as she was, could keep up as well.

But there were others among the candidates who could not keep their mind on track. Lufta was too young to keep her attention on anything for too long. The boys, Ars, Darred, and Vider, had been trained for action before applying for the kingship. They too found it hard to avoid fidgeting during the drawn-our Council sessions.

Jobal was not particularly good at sitting through the meetings but neither was she particularly bad. She contributed little to the discourse but didn’t fidget either. She just was.

It was around this time that Padmé lessened her search for the first month’s trial. Being rather tenacious, she felt as though she couldn’t just let it go completely. However, she reflected, some things were meant to remain a secret no matter how irritating it might be.

She began spending more time with Palo. Admittedly, she spent quite a bit of time with him already but they always had a chaperone in the form of Jobal. Now, she found herself sneaking out to meet him in the library late at night and taking early morning boat trips around the lake. They strolled through the gardens and Palo always found the prettiest flowers to give to her. Even though they never moved any closer than a heated discussion, Padmé wished for more intimate contact. More than once, she had to remind herself that she was there to be elected queen not to take a lover.

The month sped by and Padmé was surprised to find that it was already Judgment Day. Privately, Padmé thought that Lufta would be eliminated. The young girl was intelligent but she barely applied herself. She was getting worse, not better, in combat practice and she couldn’t stay focused in Council meetings for longer than ten minutes at best.

It came as a shock to her that Darred was to be eliminated. It came as an even greater shock when she heard from Palo later that evening that Darred had been eliminated for his ties with the Trade Federation. He’d been planning to stage a coup.

Padmé knew about the Trade Federation. They were attempting to create a monopoly and they had their eyes on Naboo as their next conquest. The king had been holding out so far but Padmé was sure that he would be pleased to hand the problem off to the next ruler.

But Darred? Padmé could scarcely believe it. He had seemed so nice. He had wanted to be a pilot, she thought. Padmé had always thought of herself as an excellent judge of character. She realized now that seeing through political intrigue was harder than it looked. She vowed to keep a closer eye on her opponents.


	7. The Handmaiden

The mood was considerably more subdued as the candidates moved into their seventh month. A little under half of them were gone. One of them had been plotting against the others. The election was looming more than ever and all of those left were terrified.

The candidates were nervous to spend any time with the others in case they accidentally revealed their upcoming strategy. But the new month brought with it a new challenge, one that the candidates welcomed.

The new month introduced the concept of handmaidens and valets. In times of peace, the candidates were told, the handmaidens or valets were there to aid and offer advice to the ruler. In times of war, they could be used as decoys.

Padmé found the idea of using people as bait distasteful but she could see the necessity of the plan. She became fast friends with her handmaidens, taking the time to learn each one’s name and her hobbies.

One of them, Sabé, appeared remarkably close to Padmé both in looks and in voice. Aware that Naboo was rapidly moving towards a state of war if they continued to resist the Trade Federation, she employed Sabé as her decoy at a few of the Council meetings just to see if it would work. She thought for certain that at least one person would notice. No one did. They expected to see Padmé so they saw Padmé.

Emboldened by her success, Padmé sent Sabé to more and more activities. No one ever noticed the change, not even Palo and Jobal.

Padmé was slightly disappointed that Palo didn’t notice the difference. She brushed it off quickly though. After all, she had hoped that she could successfully use the decoy.

The rest of her handmaidens were deployed as spies throughout the rest of the household, bringing her news and gossip. Ellé was on actively bad terms with her handmaidens. It seemed that Padmé was right about her cruel private life. Most of the others seemed to just ignore their helpers. Palo and Jobal were both on good terms with their helpers but they hadn’t thought to use them the way Padmé had. In fact, none of the other candidates had thought to see what their helpers could do.

The month passed. After using Sabé almost nonstop for two weeks, Padmé switched with her again. After all, she needed to keep her combat skills honed.

Judgment Day revealed that the test had been keeping good relations with their helpers and utilizing them properly. It came as no surprise to Padmé that Ellé was dismissed. And, just like that, over half of the original candidates were gone.


	8. The Student

Padmé found that the next month would be one of her favorites. Rather than the next round of testing being the scenarios they’d grown used to, the candidates were given a planet each morning with its customs and norms and then were quizzed on it each afternoon. The candidates accumulated points based on how well they did and, at the end of the month, the candidate with the least amount of points would be dismissed.

Best of all, they were told where they had gone wrong and how to improve.

Although she had always been more of a theoretical learner, Padmé enjoyed these memorization tests. This was something purely objective. She didn’t have to make sure that she was likeable in order to do well. She just needed to know the idiosyncrasies of the cultures.

What she found most interesting was how much culture changed from planet to planet. Gangsters ran Tatooine almost completely while Coruscant was a planet of politicians. Hoth had no society of which to speak but those who did live there were extremely prideful. Even the planets with a similar geography to her own Naboo were different in culture. Endor had a hunter/gatherer society but Alderaan was entirely a monarchy.

The only complaint she had was that she didn’t really know how she was doing in relation to the others.

Since there were now only six candidates left, they tended to keep to themselves. At least, they kept their scores to themselves. They weren’t necessarily afraid to talk to their competitors but they certainly didn’t want to compare notes.

She thought she was doing well on the tests but it wasn’t like the others had made it to the last half of the election through sheer luck. They had all worked hard to make it to this point. It wasn’t like any of them were clueless. The tests could be as close as percentages of points but there was nothing she could do about it. It was useless to worry. Padmé knew this but it didn’t stop her from spending hours studying.

Her social life took a dive though. What with the Council meetings, combat training, and studying, she didn’t have time to spend with the other candidates. She still had a free hour in the afternoons but found that she preferred to use that time to collect news from her handmaidens instead. She missed seeing Jobal and Palo but she was just too busy.

Towards the end of the month, the tests switched from simply asking questions to offering real-world simulations that had to be figured out knowing the context of the planets involved. Padmé had been interested before but now she was downright intrigued.

This made sense to her. Applying the knowledge she learned was easier than straight memorizing it. She almost wished the month would never end.

Of course, the month did end and on Judgment Day, Padmé sat with her fellow candidates, awaiting the sentence. Palo gave her a warm smile, one that she returned, but then he turned back to the announcer.

“We have chosen to award points out of a possible 3100 points and have decided also to tell you how everyone did. Please remain here until all of the names have been announced. The candidate with the least amount of points may go home.” There was a tense moment before the droid continued, “Palo with 3072 points, Padmé with 3059 points, Ars with 3022 points, Jobal with 3021 points, Lufta with 2690 points, Vider with 2519 points.”

There was another stunned silence. Then, Ars turned to comfort his friend and the others began filing out of the room.


	9. The Jedi

As they moved into the next month, Padmé remained stunned. She had pegged Lufta originally as an easy out. Clearly, she had underestimated her. It was true that Lufta had barely made it through each test but Padmé now wondered if Lufta was hiding something. It seemed unlikely that anyone could do just enough to make it through each test without some sort of end game in mind.

It was time, Padmé decided, to join the group once more. With that in mind, she began organizing group outings. At first, it was difficult to continue the others to join her. They were just as suspicious of her motives as she was of theirs. She soon convinced them that she had no ulterior goals in mind. Soon, the outings were a source of catharsis and relaxation amongst the stress of the election.

With the new group outings, Padmé and Palo were able to rekindle their close friendship. It was as though the past month of separation had never even happened.

Then, in the second week of the month, something happened to shatter the peace.

“This is Master Windu of the Jedi Order,” Captain Typho announced. “He will be taking over your lessons to ensure you are ready to proceed with the next set of trials.”

Padmé frowned. This was unlike any of the tests they’d had before. Surely, it was unusual for a Jedi to be involved with the election of a Naboo ruler and especially a Jedi so high ranking.

Master Windu looked forbidding with a voice to match. He was tough and firm. As one of the only wielders of a purple lightsabers, he was afforded a higher modicum of respect, even among the other Jedi Masters.

Padmé was a little bit frightened of him. She suspected that, to some degree, they all were. He even made Palo and Ars nervous, a fact that surprised her.

Master Windu began his training with a preliminary examination of each candidate’s mind. Padmé suspected that this would be the real trial of the month. After the incident with Darred, the Council would be reluctant to put a ruler on the throne that was not “pure of heart.”

Each candidate was called into the office to meet with Master Windu. After that, no one knew and the other candidates weren’t telling. Unfortunately, in Padmé’s mind, she was last.

“So, Padmé Naberrie, formerly Princess of Theed,” Master Windu commented as she sat down. Padmé nodded, feeling that the statement didn’t warrant an answer. “Why are you here?”

“I didn’t originally want to,” she said. He frowned and Padmé reconsidered her statement. She added, “I’ve always dreamed of being Queen, I think every little girl does, but that’s all it was--a dream. I got into politics because of that dream. I never bothered to submit my name, though, because I believed that I wasn’t quite ready.” She paused. “I didn’t think someone would submit it for me.”

“And now?” he prompted.

Padmé had to think about her answer carefully. “I think I am ready now and that I am the best choice for the role.” Seeing Master Windu’s eyes narrow, she continued, “We are on the brink of war, Master Windu. Going forward requires diplomacy and tact, skills that I’m not sure Ars or Lufta possess. But we are no longer in a time of peace. We need a strong leader, one who won’t hesitate when the time calls for it. I don’t believe that Jobal is that leader.”

“And you think you are?” Master Windu asked.

“I believe I can be,” she replied evenly. “But it will take cooperation and patience from the Council.”

“You may not be able to get that.”

Padmé raised an eyebrow. “The Council may be my advisors but I will still be Queen. I expect that they will concede to me.”

“Are you prepared to listen to them though? To admit when you are wrong?”

“I am prepared to do what is best for Naboo.”

They both knew that it wasn’t quite the answer to his question but he seemed to accept it. He nodded slowly and then said “Tomorrow, I start training you in how to guard your mind. The Force-sensitive can influence the decisions of the weak-minded. I’m sure that a future ruler would not appreciate their mind being tricked.” He paused and then added, “I doubt you’ll need much instruction as your already have a strong will but practice will help.”

He stood, Padmé doing likewise. “May the Force be with you, Padmé Naberrie,” he said, ushering her out of the room. He swept down the hall, off to who knew where.

Padmé gazed after him thoughtfully. She wasn’t sure what to think of him. He definitely had his quirks and she was fairly certain that the Jedi only offered that parting to other Jedi. Still, she appreciated that he was willing to play the game of politics wither her. She’d been told that the Jedi were often rarely more than a glorified police force.

Only time would tell the impression she had made on him.

Morning brought with it the promise of new classes. Master Windu had been right that Padmé’s strong will and stubbornness aided her in shielding her mind from outside influence. She didn’t need much instruction but she liked the extra practice.

Master Windu would attempt to make them do ridiculous thinks like jumping onto furniture or hopping around the room three times on one leg. If Padmé didn’t know better, she would suspect the man of possessing a secret sense of humor. All she had to do though was remind herself that such conduct was not befitting of a queen and, as such, she did not need to listen to him.

8 times out of 10, she succeeded in resisting him.

From there, they moved onto subtler suggestions, even ones that made complete sense to Padmé. These were much harder to resist and she wasn’t as good at it. But, as Master Windu promised, practice would make her better. So, she practiced.

At the end of the month, Padmé could successfully resist any suggestion, no matter how much sense it made to her. She was not surprised when she advanced to the next test of the election. Lufta was not so lucky.

As Padmé saw it, Lufta simply could not work with the Jedi Master. He was too intimidating to her young mind or she was too innocent to break his mind tricks. Whatever the reason, Lufta was gone the next morning.


	10. The Lover

The election moved into its tenth month. Master Windu left on the first day. Even so, the combat lessons didn’t return. Instead, they took a different turn.

Captain Typho firmly believed that a good ruler was one with a grasp on military strategy and leadership. He brought this belief with him into the new month. The candidates turned from learning how to fight to learning how to lead others into a fight.

They started with old games that Padmé remembered from her childhood. They moved armies around the board, trying to capture their opponent’s ruler. Padmé was good at these games. She could consistently beat Jobal and Palo. Against Ars, she could win about half the time.

From the games, they moved onto simulations. The candidates were tasked with motivating their troops and successfully leading them through the battles put before them. Padmé quickly noticed that each candidate had their own style. She herself motivated her people through gaining their trust before seemingly leading them into battle only to have some sort of trick up her sleeve. Ars gave rousing speeches and then led his soldiers straight into the fight. Palo also gave fierce battle speeches but then led his people to attack the other army from behind. Jobal inspired her troops by never losing a soldier and employed guerrilla tactics to keep up her winning streak.

While one candidate worked on the simulations, the others made trips out to the capitol to meet with the planet’s soldiers. Again, Typho thought it important that the future ruler get to know who was defending them. Although Padmé hoped that she’d never have to use them, she found that she liked being around them. The soldiers were a typically easy-going and funny group of people. It was a welcome change from the seriousness of the candidates.

Now, it just so happened that Padmé’s birthday came this month. She didn’t say anything about it but Palo still somehow found out. He pulled her aside during their free hour and hugged her. Then, he presented her with a large bouquet of flowers and held out his hand.

“Shall we go for a walk?” he asked, motioning to the gardens.

Padmé smiled and took his hand. “Of course.”

They wandered in silence for a time. Eventually, they made their way to the center of the garden. Padmé sat on one of the benches, watching as Palo paced the small area.

“Are you okay?” she asked after a few minutes.

“It’s not fair!” he burst out, startling her. She stared at him questioningly. “Us working against each other,” he explained further.

“Why is that not fair?” Padmé replied. She thought that she could see where this was going.

“Because, Padmé, you’re amazing and beautiful. You’re an incredible leader and a caring woman. You don’t know the meaning of prejudice. You’re perfect and I’d love to be allowed to love you but I can’t.”

“Why?” she asked again, blushing at his compliments.

“Because we both want the same thing. It’ll create conflict.”

“Does it have to?”

“Well--” He stopped pacing. “What?”

“Why does it have to be a source of conflict? We’re both mature adults. I’m sure we can isolate our personal life.”

“And what if we can’t?”

She said simply, “Then we call it off.” She didn’t get another word out before Palo had leaned down and kissed her.

Padmé floated through the next week. She and Palo found time to sneak away from the rest of the group. They held hands people’s backs were turned. They kissed when no one was looking. Padmé felt as though she couldn’t be happier.

But she abruptly came down off her cloud when Jobal was eliminated at the end of the week. It didn’t seem real at first. Yet, when she snuck into Jobal’s room that night, there was her friend packing her things. She moved to help Jobal, the two working together in silence.

“I’ll miss you,” Padmé said, sniffing away a tear.

Jobal smiled sadly. “If I can’t be queen, then I hope that it’s you.” She hugged Padmé tightly. “You’ll be a wonderful queen.”

“So would you.”

Jobal sighed. “But that’s not in my future.” She gently shooed Padmé back out of the room. “Now go before someone catches you.” The next morning, Jobal was gone.

 


	11. The Abandoned

Unfortunately, Padmé had more than enough time to dwell on the loss of her friend over the next month. Oddly, it was as though everything had stopped at once. The lessons were over, the visits to the capitol stopped, the quizzes ceased, the servants and teachers left.

The only people left in the entire house were Padmé, Palo, and Ars. It was a little strange at first. There was no one to cook or clean up after them. Within a week, though, the three had worked out a system where Padmé and Ars cleaned while Palo cooked.

This, Padmé thought, was good. It gave her a chance to observe Ars. Like Lufta, she had dismissed Ars as an easy loss but, either through luck or skill, he was still in the election. This seemed to surprise Ars as much as it did Padmé. He looked shocked to see that he was still hanging on.

When Padmé wasn’t helping Ars clean, she spent her time with Palo. With no one else around, they didn’t bother hiding their relationship. Padmé was a little worried that Ars might say something- she didn’t know if there were rules against candidates dating- but he didn’t seem to notice.

As time went on, Padmé relaxed into her relationship. She and Palo were good for each other. He comforted her when she felt sad about the loss of Jobal. She calmed him down when he worried too much.

It made Padmé a little nervous. Their relationship was wonderful but she suspected their time together was coming to a close. Either one of them would be eliminated at the end of the month or they would face off against each other in the upcoming election. Neither choice seemed preferable.

Meanwhile, Ars was falling apart. Padmé hadn’t realized that he was such a social person but the isolation seemed to be hitting him hard. He was jumpy and easily startled, a drastic change from his usual collected self. Padmé tried to reach out to him but he insisted that he was fine. Padmé tried not to take the rejection personally. If Ars didn’t want to be helped then she wouldn’t push it on him. Still, he seemed like he would be okay.

Or, at least, he did until the last day of the month when he finally snapped.

Padmé and Palo had met up for a quiet dinner in the library. They’d stopped eating with Ars a few days earlier after hearing too many mutterings from him. Padmé thought to herself that they maybe shouldn’t be leaving him alone but being around Ars these days felt creepy to her.

Later, Padmé wouldn’t be able to remember much of that night except that Ars burst in halfway through the meal- and everything that happened after.

“You left me!” he screamed. His hair stuck up in points and his eyes were crazy. Even more than the fire, Padmé feared for her life.

Padmé stood. “Ars, are you okay?” she asked gently, afraid to startle him into something rash.

He pointed an accusing finger at the two. “It’s all right for you two! You don’t’ care whether the rest of us are eliminated or not as long as you have each other. But we don’t get that. We have to deal with our friends leaving. And now there’s just us three! But what do you do? You leave me alone! And then you act like I should be grateful for the loneliness! Like it’s not enough that Darred was a traitor and Vider left months ago, leaving your happy gang together, but now that there’s no one else around, you completely left me!”

He turned to face Palo. “I knew that you were like this. You’re as fake as you can be. But Padmé-” He looked back at her. “I thought you were better than that.”

“I offered you help,” she reminded him.

“Like a cursory offer of help meant to make you feel better is really going to help me,” he sneered. Before Padmé could answer, he continued, “But it doesn’t matter now. I hope he’s worth the time you put into him because it’s all over tomorrow.”

As quickly as he’d arrived, Ars was gone. His prediction proved true as he was eliminated the next morning.

“And then there were two,” Padmé murmured.


	12. The Host

Padmé left immediately after the ceremony. She briefly entertained the thought of trying to speak to Palo but decided against it. They had known that this might happen and that their relationship would have to come to an end. It was probably for the best if she just left.

She thought maybe that Palo would come to her room that night but her door remained closed. Again, she told herself firmly that it was best. It would be harder to leave him if they kept having lingering goodbyes.

The next morning, Padmé woke to find a courtesy droid waiting for her. “Good morning, Candidate Naberrie. You are to come with me.”

Curious, Padmé followed. As she entered the hall, she chanced a glance at Palo’s door. It wasn’t open even a tiny crack. She sighed and followed the droid.

She originally thought that she would be led somewhere in the house but as the droid led her outside to a waiting speeder, Padmé realized this was not the case. Instead, they took a familiar path back to the capitol and to the palace.

A small group of people waited for her at the palace. Padmé recognized her handmaidens. She smiled and them and embraced each one. Then, she turned her attention to the others.

One of the assembled crowd, a stern, older woman, stepped forward. “Madame Thule,” she introduced herself. “I’ll be your campaign manager. We’ll speak in greater detail later. For now, we need to get you ready for your first public appearance.” She clapped her hands and two droids rolled forward. “These will be your stylists. I’ll meet you outside your quarters in an hour.”

An hour later, Padmé was primped and ready. Madame Thule looked her over, pronouncing her acceptable. Then, they were off down the hall.

“You’ve seen elections before?” Thule asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Then you’ll know that this is your introduction to the public. You have to make a good first impression. Those who the people like tend to win.”

They stopped behind a door. “This is the stage. They’ll call your name in a moment. You’ll go through this door and proceed to your seat.” Thule turned to go and then turned back. “Is there anything that might affect your campaign? I need to know now.”

Padmé started to shake her head. “Actually, there is,” she amended. “For a few months, I dated the other candidate Palo.” Thule looked a bit worried. “Is that a problem?” Padmé asked.

“It shouldn’t be,” Thule replied hesitantly. “But I’ll prepare a few statements anyway.”

Thule left, muttering to herself. Padmé stood quietly until she heard her name. She strode through the door and onto the stage, a roar of approval greeting her. Padmé had been expecting this. She had been popular as Princess of Theed and much of the population was already well aware of her policies. This, she hoped, would give her a leg up on Palo, who didn’t have a background in politics.

Across the stage, she could see an interviewer, motioning her to his side. She recalled his name from past elections: Ronhar. Padmé took a moment to acknowledge the crowd before joining him. He waved her to a chair and she sat gracefully.

“Welcome, Padmé Naberrie, formerly Princess of Theed,” Ronhar spoke, his voice loud enough to carry over the crowd. In a moment, silence fell over those watching as they waited for the candidate to speak.

“Good morning,” Padmé replied with a sweet smile. She turned to the crowd. “And good morning to all of you.”

It was a simple greeting but an effective one. Unbeknownst to Padmé, Palo had been interviewed before her and had taken no time to greet the public, choosing instead to focus on the words he said. The viewers now looked at Padmé as a young woman who had already shown herself to be cognizant of her people.

“Miss Naberrie,” Ronhar said, drawing her attention back to him. “You were nominated to run for Queen by an outside party rather than yourself. How did you feel when you received the news?”

Padmé took a moment to consider her words carefully. “I was surprised, of course. I believe any candidate nominated by another person would have been. But I was deeply honored. I still am deeply honored. I love Naboo and its people and I am grateful to receive the chance to represent our planet on the galactic stage.”

“What can you tell us about the policies you hope to implement should you be elected?”

To Padmé, this was an easy question. It was the type of question that she’d been preparing for during the entire election process, ever since she’d been told that she had been nominated. She gathered her thoughts and then began to speak. She told the assembled crowd about her hopes for Naboo, her dreams for her people, and her plans for the future. She shared details that she had picked up from her fellow candidates, details that she would never have thought of.

From there, the questions moved to her thoughts on the Trade Federation, her ideas on how best to work with the Council, and her beliefs about the Galactic Senate. Padmé had prepared answers for each question and the words flowed easily.

She had no idea how long the interview was but it had to be at least thirty minutes before Ronhar said that he had just a few more questions to ask.

“What are your thoughts on your fellow candidate, Palo?” he said, sounding intrigued.

“I have met Palo before,” she said simply. “To me, he seemed like a wonderful young man. From what I know of him, I think that he will be a good candidate and a noble opponent.”

“And what do you think makes you a better candidate than he?” Ronhar continued.

“Who is to say what is better?” Padmé countered. Ronhar looked surprised. “I believe that I am best suited for the role of Queen at this time but I don’t get to decide that. The people do and who is to say that an artist is not better than a politician? My words will not convince you that I am the better candidate. My actions will.”

She could see the glimmer of a proud smile on Ronhar’s face as he said, “I believe that’s all the time we have today, Miss Naberrie.” She stood and shook his hand, thinking that she had at least one vote. “I look forward to meeting you again.”

“And you,” Padmé replied. He ushered her offstage.

Thule was waiting for her, grinning broadly. “Quite the little diplomat we have here, don’t we?” she drawled.

Padmé began walking toward her quarters, Thule keeping pace beside her. “How would you recommend we proceed from here?” she asked.

Thule checked her tablet. “The results from the first polls are already pouring in and you’re in the lead. By a lot, really. Keeping that in mind, I think that it’s important that you continue to hold the people’s trust and affection. Afternoon picnics, nights at the theater, that sort of thing.” She motioned forward one of their retinue. “This is your event planner. She’s already planning your first public outing tomorrow after the parade presenting you to the public. What did you say it was?”

“A garden party, ma’am,” the event planner said.

“Yes, a garden party,” Thule commented. She started to say something else but Padmé held up a hand to stop her.

“What’s your name?” she asked the event planner.

“Winama, ma’am,” the event planner replied.

Padmé smiled at her. “Thank you, Winama.”

Winama ducked her head, smiling shyly, and retreated to the rest of the advisors. Thule eyed Padmé curiously. “Padmé Naberrie, you are not what I expected,” she said softly.

She returned her attention to her tablet. “Now, I’ve forwarded three statements to your tablet about your relationship with Palo. At this moment, we have no reason to believe that it will come up; he would suffer from the possible scandal as much as you would. However, I think it’s best to be prepared.”

“Should we consider mentioning it first?” Padmé asked.

“Not yet. We don’t know how the public would react to something like this. It’s never happened before. For all we know, they’ll react poorly. We don’t want to lose your early lead.”

At the entrance to Padmé’s quarters, they stopped. Thule turned to address the entire group. “We have a month before the election. None of my candidates have ever lost and I don’t intend to start with Padmé Naberrie. You all know your jobs. Now get to it.”

The afternoon was taken up with lessons on diplomacy. Many of these were refreshers to Padmé as she’d already spent so much time in politics. But, as she kept reminding herself, everyone had something new to teach her and it would be rude to refuse the lessons.

From there, her days fell into a pattern. During the morning, she sat in on meetings with the current king, Ars Veruna, and the Council. Her afternoons and evenings were taken up with public outings and lessons on how to rule the planet. Once a week, she interviewed with Ronhar about what she was learning and what she thought about current issues. She never saw Palo, although Thule kept her updated on how he was doing in the polls. Whenever she found a spare moment, she wandered the palace, looking for him but never found him. Padmé continued to maintain her early lead and it was looking more and more likely that she would win the election with the widest vote margin in Naboo history.

But it was not to last.


	13. The Liar

“Padmé, you have to wake up.”

Slowly, Padmé roused herself from her sleep. A blurry face came into view. She blinked and the face of Thule came into focus. She started to smile but Thule’s worried expression filtered into her consciousness.

Sitting up abruptly, Padmé asked, “What’s happened?”

“This came out last night,” Thule said quietly. “Palo called for a press conference.” She turned her tablet so that Padmé could see. In horror, she watched as Palo shared the story of their relationship. But he twisted her words, making her seem cruel and cold. To the innocent public, he was the very image of a man in love, now brokenhearted by the capricious woman who presented herself as the best candidate to rule their planet. To the side, Thule had pulled up the current polls. Padmé watched as her numbers dropped steadily.

“I should have seen this,” Thule said, clearly beating herself up. “A week before the election and he’s losing by a wide margin. What’s he to do? Pull out his trump card, of course.”

Padmé heard the words as though she were underwater. She was stunned. Numbly, she handed the tablet back to Thule, her gaze unseeing at the wall in front of her.

“Clearly, the prepared statements won’t work,” Thule ranted. “Not a week before the election. I don’t see how we’re going to be able to turn this around, not right now. But we’ve got options.” She stopped suddenly as she saw Padmé’s blank expression. Her brow furrowed in concern. “Are you okay?”

Betrayal.

The word repeated itself over and over again in her mind. Palo had betrayed her. They had had something special and he had taken it and twisted it for power, for his own gain.

Padme’s mind cleared. A man like that couldn’t be allowed to win the throne. He didn’t care about the people. He didn’t care about Naboo. He cared about himself and what he wanted. She could see the future of her beloved planet if he were to win: ruin and damnation. No. She wouldn’t let that happen if it was the last thing she did.

Her gaze snapped to Thule’s. “We have work to do,” she said firmly.


	14. The Queen

Padmé didn’t go to the Council meeting that morning. Instead, she and Thule planned and prepared for the upcoming week. Although the polls were now officially closed until the election, Padmé knew that she had lost her lead and would have to fight to make it up.

Thule set up a press conference for the next day. It was more time than either of them would have liked but they both knew that an earlier statement would make it seem like they were desperate to quell the rumors.

The next evening, Padmé waited behind the stage where she’d first been announced only three weeks earlier. Then, she had been patient to walk out. Now, she was impatient to share her side of the story.

Finally, it was time.

Padmé walked calmly onto the stage, hiding her impatience and nerves. She moved slowly and deliberately, looking every bit the queen that she knew she would become. Her stylists had done well in their choices for her appearance. Her curls cascaded over her shoulders and a demure sky blue gown lent her an innocence she knew she would need.

She walked to the center of the stage and faced the crowd. There were no cheers for her this time. She would have to earn them if she wanted to hear them again.

“My fellow Naboo,” she said after a moment. “I have made a mistake.”

A murmur went through the crowd. As the noise died down, Padmé continued, “I have lost your trust because I put my trust in the wrong person. A year ago, I met Palo Jemabie, my opponent.” She moved further in her story, painting a picture of Palo as the kind and passionate man she thought she had met. She told them about how he had saved her life and about how they had become close friends. She spoke about how they had both been nervous about starting a relationship, as they knew that both of them had been nominated for the throne. She said that they had decided that it didn’t matter because even a fleeting moment of happiness was better than misery and loneliness.

As she spoke, Padmé could see people in the crowd turning to look at each other in confusion, could hear whispers as they discussed her story.

“I was heartbroken when it was announced that we would be opponents.” She glanced down, allowing herself a sad smile. “I had fallen in love. I knew that we wouldn’t see each other again, not like it had been.

“I tried to find him again,” she admitted. “I tried the night it was announced. I tried the day we arrived at the palace. I tried every single day- until yesterday.” Her words rang with a sincerity that had been lacking in Palo’s lies.

“But, my dear Naboo, falling in love was not the mistake that I made. I went wrong in believing that my opponent would show the same kindness and courtesy that I showed him. It doesn’t matter which story is true, mine or his. What matters is that, right now, you want to elect someone who only won your hearts by turning me into a monster.

“A man like that won’t look out for you in the Galactic Senate. He will toss you aside as soon as you are no longer useful to him. Power changes people, some for the better and some for the worse. The man that stood before you last night is not the man that I fell in love with two months ago. I ask you now: which Palo Jemabie do you want to be your king? The man that I told you about or the man that spoke to you last night.”

She paused and took a deep breath. “I cannot hope to win back your trust or your love. All I can ask is that you think. Think hard about the person you want to elect in four days. I believe in you.”

Padmé took another deep breath and then turned and left the stage. She had no idea if anyone cheered her; there was a ringing in her ears. Thule waited for her in the hallway. She looked proud.

“Whether you win or lose,” Thule said, “you were more of a ruler tonight than Palo Jemabie will ever be.”

The rest of the week passed quietly. All public outings were cancelled. Neither Padmé nor Thule believed that another appearance would be wise. She would have continued to attend the Council meetings but, after the first day, she was told that they would be discontinued until after the election. She spent the days in her room, reading up on current political events.

Election day came as it always did, with great fanfare and excitement. Even Padmé, usually so withdrawn, couldn’t hide her nerves. The voting would take place throughout the day but none of the results would be announced until that evening at Ronhar’s interview with both candidates.

Most of the day was spent primping and preparing. Padmé wasn’t entirely certain all of this was necessary but Thule informed her that it was imperative that she look like a queen.

“There will still be at least a few people voting. You’ll want to win their vote and the best way to do that is to look like you’ve already won it,” Thule told her.

She still wasn’t sure that she wanted to listen to her but she was glad that she had when she stepped out onto the stage and saw Palo in blue and silver silks. Her golden gown whispered as she stepped lightly to her seat.

“Good evening Miss Naberrie,” Ronhar said. “We were just discussing the interesting revelations that came out this week. Is there anything that you want to say to Mr. Jemabie?”

It was clear that he wanted her to yell at Palo or throw accusations his way. But Padmé smiled gently and said, “I forgive you.”

Palo’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak. But what he would have said was drowned out but a roar from the crowd. The first district’s votes were in. Both candidates’ eyes flicked to the screens where the tally was showing 58 votes to Padmé, 56 to Palo.

Votes began to roll in faster than Padmé could tally. Her eyes remained glued to the screens watching her numbers tick higher. Palo’s numbers were rising too but not as quickly as hers. In fact, Padmé realized Palo was only getting one vote for five of hers.

It seemed that her speech from earlier that week had paid off. Not only had she regained her lead, she had surpassed it. Palo looked furious as he came to the same conclusion that she did.

At the end of the night, the votes were in. Padmé shook Palo’s hand, only wincing a little when he attempted to crush hers. Then she turned to Ronhar and nodded slightly.

He turned her to face the crowd and announced, “People of Naboo, I give you your queen: Padmé Naberrie!”


End file.
